*Disclaimer: as a teacher at BYU I absolutely love the university. I love the dance department and all of the faculty. I love the moral standards present in each dance class. I love not having to worry what I'm going to see in a dance performance. I love knowing I won't have to watch anything that is in opposition to my moral beliefs. I love that dance at BYU is meant to uplift, inspire, and edify.
Why are dancers at BYU not allowed to show their legs? Why can they not wear clothing that is created to enhance the beauty of the human body by showing the strong, muscular, beautiful legs that dancers develop over years of training?
What you put on your body is amplified by the type of movement you choose to do, and cannot be determined solely by "type of activity."
To start, I want to share a few experiences that I've had at BYU.
#1. A few years ago, while at a BYU game I was appalled at how short the cheerleaders skirts were (mostly because I figured "if dancers can't show their legs, certainly cheerleaders can't either"). I have nothing against cheerleaders...except when they are lifted in the air by men, in the splits, right above peoples' heads. What's the problem you ask? The problem is that anyone watching these cheerleaders are getting a direct "crotch shot" of these girls every time they do a split in the air. Was I offended? Yes. Keep the short skirts, just don't flash me please. I doubt you'll see dancers do this to their audiences.
#2. Do volleyball players "have" to wear short booty shorts to play well? I doubt it. But that's what volleyball players wear.
I'm not offended, are you?
#3. Swimmers obviously don't wear tights under their swimsuits, that would be silly.
#4. Gymnasts don't wear tights under their leotards. Nope, definitely not. I love gymnastics (in fact, my sister is on the BYU team), but there are times I'm tired of seeing butt cheeks hanging out of leotards, especially during their floor routines where they definitely do dance moves in those tiny leotards. But of course they're not asked to cover up. Why would we want them to cover up, and not be able to see their muscular legs that they develop over so many years of training? That's part of the whole experience, right? I think it is. I think it should be.
#4. Track athletes wear tight, short shorts. They should. That's what track athletes wear. The end.
On to dance. Recently I was privileged to watch The Dancers' Company perform on campus. Their performance was wonderful. They have beautiful dancers and the choreography was very good. However, I couldn't help thinking the whole time, "goodness, I just want to see their legs!" I felt cheated, in a way, that one of the most beautiful parts of these dancers trained bodies were hidden from the audience. I hardly saw a knee cap. I'm also not saying that ALL dance has to be in bare legs. I just get so tired of not being able to see dancers' legs (specifically modern dancers').
What do all these photos have in common?
YOU CAN'T SEE THEIR LEGS
Heavenly Father created our bodies and they are magnificent. They are incredible facilities that can do amazing things. I know He created our bodies and knew that they would be able to dance. There is nothing more inspiring to me than to see a beautiful dancer who has worked for years and years to mold and sculpt their body into a beautiful instrument. When I watch dance and see gorgeous strong legs I think "wow, the body is incredible and beautiful."
On a quick side-note I am also VERY sensitive to immodest and vulgar dance. I've walked out of dance performances before (and they weren't even showing their legs). However, showing bare legs does not make dance vulgar. It does not make dance immodest.
What you DO while dancing determines whether dance is modest or immodest, appropriate or inappropriate.
Thanks for reading.
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